Ireland and France join Breeders Cup Challenge.

Ireland and France join Breeders' Cup Challenge


RACES in Ireland and France have joined four in Britain as part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge, offering a guaranteed starting berth at the two-day spectacular at Santa Anita on November 6-7.

Ascot, Canada's Woodbine and Sha Tin in Hong Kong were already part of an expanded challenge last year, offering places in the line-up at certain Breeders' Cup races under the ‘win-and-you're-in' scheme.

Now the Emirates Airline Champion Stakes at Newmarket has been added to the programme, alongside four races at three different Irish tracks and two in France.

In total, 62 races from seven different countries now feature in the Breeders' Cup Challenge for 2009.

The Group 1 Manikato Stakes at Moonee Valley in September also becomes the first Australian race in the series.

Australian-trained horses have never taken much notice of the Breeders' Cup, undermining the event's claims as racing's ‘world championships'.

Including US races, last year's Breeders' Cup Challenge featured 57 races at 12 tracks.

The four Irish races added to the series kick off with Saturday's Audi Pretty Polly Stakes at The Curragh, the winner of which will be offered in the Breeders' Cup Mile.

This is followed by the Moyglare Stud Stakes, also at the Curragh (Juvenile Fillies' Turf); Tattersalls Millions Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown (Turf) and the Group 3 Diamond Stakes at Dundalk (Marathon).

Muhannak won the Dundalk all-weather contest in 2008 before going on to win the Breeders' Cup Marathon.

The Champion Stakes, now offering a place in the Breeders' Cup Turf, joins the QEII (Mile), Royal Lodge (Juvenile Turf) and Ascot Fillies' Mile (Juvenile Fillies' Turf) as part of the Challenge.

All four Challenge races in Britain will also receive an additional $50,000 from the Breeders' Cup in owners' premiums. A Breeders' Cup-nominated horse that finishes in one of the three top positions will earn a portion of the premium.

Jim Martin, manager of Dundalk, welcomed the decision to include the Diamond Stakes, saying: “We are deeply honoured that Dundalk Stadium’s Group 3 Diamond Stakes has been chosen as one of the four prestigious races in Ireland to take part in the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series.

"We were delighted when the race on the 2nd October was promoted to Group 3 status, however, today’s announcement is the icing on the cake in terms of strengthening our standing as an internationally competitive racetrack.”

The Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville and Longchamp's Prix de l'Abbaye are the two French races, both offering places in the Turf Sprint.